Reasons and Chances

"This world is filled with evil," Berion said, his voice sounding far away even to his own ears. He didn't see his surrounding, he saw no smoke or fire. Not, the shattered Space and the Void spilling in from the sky. The cracked dimensional boundaries, the Essences spilling in and mixing in ways that caused so much destruction somewhere far behind him. All he saw was a small room, a chain coming from the wall and being tied to the collar on his neck. His first real memories.

"There are few people who are willing to stand up and fight that real evil," Berion continued. "Who are willing to do anything in order to break the chains that hold those who are unable to fight for themselves. Who are so beneath those with power that they might be as ants to them. Stomped with on with no care at all."

"I know, you are right," Zacharia said, surprising him. "I have seen it, I know it. But violence such as what you are doing will only breed more of it. At some point, you become just a different flavor of evil. You must see that the things you are doing are the same."

Berion winced. When did it happen, Ber wondered, though he already knew. Going after Awirren was the first, small step. She was too strong for them, but they had done it. They had worked with the Empire because they had grown tired of not being able to strike at any of the truly monstrous. They had been unable to break the cycle. The Reaction Engine was... they had known what they would do with it, even if they weren't explicitly told. They had known, and Kael... It was worth it, so many High Rankers, the ones that were true monsters had died there. Yet... Ber knew that some of them hadn't been evil.

The Dome... they released it, and they did succeed, in a way. The Empire was no more, there were no slaves toiling in mines. Those that survived were stronger, more capable of defending themselves. If all the Domes were released, as they had planned, if...

How many would've died? Ber had never really let himself think about it. All he thought about was the collar around his neck, and his faith in Kael. Break the world, break all cycles, and then start new with those that survived.

He closed his eyes, his face twisting into a grimace that he couldn't suppress. He had known, of course he had known. But sometimes it was hard to change. This was the only life that he had ever really known outside of being a slave. His first choice, to follow Kael.

"You know that this isn't the right way," Zacharia said, his eyes looking at him and seemingly piercing through him with an ease that terrified Ber. There was something about his eyes that unnerved him. A knowledge that was all seeing, a weight, an age that reminded him of the yeti's gaze. As if this one moment was so small compared to all that he had seen.

"There are no right ways," Berion said, but the words tasted weak on his tongue.

"We can teach them to be better, show them through actions," Zacharia said.

Berion laughed. He didn't mean to, but something about those words coming from someone like the man in front of him felt comical. "That is naïve," Berion said. "You cannot teach those who believe only in power. And even if you could, what would you do with those who suffer as you try to change things?"

"I don't have all the answers," Zacharia answered. "But all people deserve a second chance, an opportunity to make different choices."

"And when they don't?" Berion asked, very interested in the answer.

"I don't have all the answers," Zacharia said.

Knowledge was rolling through his mind, pieces that clicked into place. He knew that Berion didn't want to be here, that he didn't want to do this.

All actions had consequences, but choices were never set in stone. All people had the ability to choose to change. Yet, sometimes, we all made the wrong decisions. We all made mistakes.

Ryun would've taken the action at its base value, and reacted immediately. Zach always offered another way, a chance.

He looked at Berion, trying to convey a sense of understanding and empathy in his tone. "I understand that people can do wrong things," Zach said. "But everyone deserves another chance to redeem themselves, no matter their mistakes." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before he continued speaking. "It isn't easy - taking responsibility for your actions or forgiving others."

Sometimes, all it took was a hand being offered.

Berion was at war with himself, unsure of everything. He had seen Kael changing ever since he met Ra'azel. The yeti had offered them all power, and it was... intoxicating. It had given them the tools to reach the heights of the monsters that had oppressed them for all of their lives.

Here stood a man with great power, who didn't use it to oppress others. He had lived so much of his life not believing that people like that even existed. He had seen only evil for so long that he had stopped seeing the light. The others... they had fallen into the same trap too. He could see it now. And yet...

Berion looked at the man for what felt like an eternity, searching for any weakness or hint that he was extending false promises or being deceitful in some way; yet finding none other than an earnest sincerity in the man's words and gaze which made him uneasy. As if there were layers hiding beneath even those qualities which meant more than what could be seen on the surface.

For a moment, he thought that perhaps he could trust another again. Perhaps he had made a mistake before. But then he saw that look in his eyes, the one that looked so much like the gaze of Ra'azel. The eyes that spoke of someone old, used to power.

Berion shook his head. He couldn't, he owed Kael.

Zacharia sighed.

"Not yet then," he said, pulling Berion's attention back on him.

Before Berion could ask what he meant, Zacharia's armor flashed with power, and his grasp on him was broken.

Berion staggered back, nearly losing his grip on the space beneath his feet and tumbling down to the ground. He caught himself and looked at the man, feeling a sensation of an enormous weight rising above him, threatening to crush him.

Zach saw, and his skills informed his sight. Knowledge rolled through, putting the pieces into place. Berion was conflicted, and Zach believed that he was worthy of another chance. He could see it in his eyes. But he wasn't ready yet, and Zach couldn't wait.

"I can't let your people do what they want," he said, and before Berion could react, he moved.

|I Arrived Always On Time| flowed through his Aspect Blink, putting him away from Berion. His armor was filled with the Essence of Time, all its effects were amplified. He felt the connection to his plane and let the river flow through him, riding the giant wave. He blinked again, burning his blinks in quick succession, Time making it as if he was blinking in a single instant. He headed toward the smoke and the fires, where he knew fighting was taking place.

Berion watched Zacharia head toward Kael and the others. He couldn't move, a part of him knew that he had to go and help his friends. That it was his task, why he was here. To keep Zacharia from interfering. But another part of him warred with the knowledge that all of this was happening because of Ra'azel. They weren't here to punish anyone, they weren't here to set the scales right, they were here because Ra'azel wanted them to be here. Because Kael had made a deal for the gear that Ra'azel had crafted them.

He took in a deep breath, then felt his breathing accelerate. He couldn't decide, he had never really made a decision for himself. He didn't know what to do.

His sense of Space told him that Zacharia had arrived at his destination. He closed his eyes, then shook his head. He had agreed to this, he had to see it through, no matter what.

He turned, bent space and followed after Zacharia.